- Interflex shifts from mass infantry to specialist training
- All UK Ukraine training unified under one framework
- Change reflects drone-era gaps and Ukraine’s growing training lead
The announcement that the UK will transition its Operation Interflex training mission for Ukraine from large-scale infantry exercises towards “specialised” requirements appears to be an admission the programme has reached the end of its usefulness in the current form.
Announced on 5 June, the UK Government said that since its beginning in June 2022, the UK-led multinational training mission – dubbed Operation Interflex – has trained over 63,000 Ukrainian personnel in infantry combat.
However, a new training framework will incorporate helicopter instructor training, which saw the first trainees graduating last month, as well as other areas including medical and engineering.
To this end, Interflex will transition into a “new, unified framework”, bringing all UK‑led training for Ukraine, in the UK and overseas, under a single name.
In addition, the UK Government said: “In line with the changing requirements of the [Armed Forces of Ukraine], the programme will move away from large‑scale infantry training and towards specialist and advanced training designed to build long-term capability.”
It was well understood that in recent years Ukrainian recruits and trainers moving through the UK-led training regime had become frustrated at the lack of attention paid to the proliferation of drones on the battlefield.
Even as far back as a 2024 UK Defence Committee hearing it was revealed Ukrainian forces undergoing training in the UK were not being provided with counter UAS training and tactics relevant to modern combat.
The same year, a landmark report revealed the UK’s own military training was suffering as a result of the focus placed on providing courses for Ukrainian personnel.
In the years since, Ukraine’s combat experience has moved to a point whereby it is effectively the senior partner when it comes to training.
The announcement follows the first graduation of trainees from a course now moving under the Interflex framework. Ukrainian pilots have completed the UK’s first helicopter instructor programme with more trainees arriving soon as part of a long‑term plan to help Ukraine build its own pilot training system.
The UK has donated vast quantities of legacy equipment to Ukraine, arguably to the detriment of its own military capability, including the handover of old Sea King helicopters.
